Distraction
by Mizz Berlitz
Summary: Hikari searches for the cause of her recent Contest failures, with some help from Satoshi. [ Pearlshipping, Twoshot. COMPLETE ]
1. Part I

-1Lilacs

**Disclaimer - It's a DIS-claimer. What more do you need to know?**

**Summary - Hikari searches for the cause of her recent Contest failures, with some help from Satoshi. Pearlshipping. Twoshot. **

**Author's Notes - This is a present for my good friend hiikari. :3 She e-mailed me the beginnings of the Advanceshipping fic she dedicated to me that she might post here and the story looks awesome. (even more so because I'm an Advanceshipping freak) She even used the dub names for me 'cuz I'm a dubbie. So in this fic I used the Japanese names. Lol.**

**I was a bit confused about Glameow's Japanese name. Is it Nyaruma or Nyarmar? I used Nyaruma, so correct me if I'm wrong. **

---

Hikari fingered the satiny material of the orange ribbon resting in her palm, fastened with a dulled gold clasp. She could faintly make out her reflection in the worn metal, her expression one of worry and disappointment.

Aside from this ribbon, she only had two more to her name. At this rate she would never qualify for the Shinou Grand Festival. She would never live up to her mother's standards.

She averted her gaze from the taunting ribbon, staring out over the city from the balcony of the room she and her friends were staying at in the Pokemon Center. Several neon signs blinked and flashed, lighting up the slushy snow with shades of pinks, greens, and turquoises.

She sighed, listening to the angry beeps of car horns and the skidding and squealing of tires on pavement as cars, trucks, taxis, and buses navigated through the city streets. The noises of the constant activity taking place - leaving her behind to sulk.

One defeat wouldn't have caused her to feel this way. This was the fourth consecutive defeat since…her last victory, in fact. The only evidence of which being the black-and-white polka-dotted ribbon safely tucked away in her ribbon case, all of her confidence resulting from her win gone.

What was wrong with her? When she had begun her journey, she was ready to take on the world - or the Shinou region, at least. She was the daughter of a legend, and wholly determined to prove herself as a Coordinator.

What had gone wrong?

She felt herself tearing up and becoming flustered, clueless as to what was causing her distress. This was yet another sleepless night she had spent pondering her failures that were becoming increasingly common.

Something was missing. She lacked her mother's special flair, the one that won over the audience every time. Of course, she had been told that she was cute, but apparently being just cute didn't cut it.

She and her Pokemon didn't have the right chemistry. They were rarely on the save wavelength, and as a result her appeals usually ended up looking like she had frantically made them up right there on the spot.

Hikari found herself biting her lower lip as she often did in such situations. She wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her pajamas and sniffled quietly.

Her thoughts drifted to Nozomi and Nyaruma. They were such an amazing pair, and at times it seemed like they could read each other's thoughts. They worked together perfectly - obvious champion material.

Where had Nozomi learned to be such an amazing Coordinator? She supposed some people were just born excellent.

Lucky bitches.

"Hikari?" Hikari whipped around, surprise evident in the widening of her misty blue eyes.

"S-Satoshi!" She sputtered. "What are you doing here?"

"Couldn't sleep." Satoshi replied simply. "I came out here to get some fresh air and clear my head."

Hikari was so tired she couldn't bring herself to comment on his last few words. "Oh," was all she said.

Satoshi sidled up to her and joined her in looking out over the city. All was silent as they listened to the various sounds.

Satoshi cleared his throat suddenly, and Hikari jumped.

"What are you doing out here, Hikari? Same?"

"U-uhm, kind of," replied Hikari vaguely. Satoshi didn't pursue the subject but instead tilted his head back and looked up at the stars, barely visible through the city smog.

"Great place for stargazing," he remarked sarcastically.

Hikari, lost in thought, replied with a simple "Mmhm."

Satoshi averted his gaze to his distant-seeming friend.

"OK, what's really up with you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're all quiet, you seem sad, and you're thinking hard - don't hurt yourself, by the way." Hikari ignored his slam, instead wiping away a tear that had formed and begun to trickle down her cheek. Satoshi saw this and softened, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Kari?" He said, using her special nickname. "You can tell me what's wrong. I might be able to help." His tone was a bit awkward. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't good with crying girls.

Hikari broke down and buried her face in his shirt, sniffling. Satoshi stumbled backwards but Hikari still clung to him.

"What's wrong with me, Satoshi?!?" Hikari cried.

"You tell me," Satoshi muttered. Then, in an audible tone, he nervously shushed her and attempted to comfort her. "Um…it'll be alright…"

"No it won't!" Hikari said. "How could someone related to a Coordinating _champion_ suck so much at Coordinating?"

"You don't suck at Coordinating!" replied Satoshi after a few moments of processing what she had said. "What makes you think that?"

A picture of Nyaruma and Nozomi appeared in Hikari's head, along with the other Coordinators that had defeated her in the past. Satoshi's friend Haruka…that Shuu guy…that weirdo named Haari…

"Satoshi, my last win was…forever ago."

Satoshi searched for what to say. Truthfully, he had no clue. "Um…maybe you're distracted? Maybe someone or something else is the problem?"

"Distracted…?" Hikari considered this. Quite a few people had been on her mind lately. She had been pressured because of Ayako and Nozomi, and… She pulled away from Satoshi and stared up at him, taking in his reassuring expression, his messy hatless black hair, and his kind eyes. She hoped that he would think that the pinkish color that suddenly stained her cheeks was a result of some neon motel sign.

"Y'know," She continued, turning away so he wouldn't she her blush, "I think that that's the problem."

"Well…who do you think distracts you?"

Hikari was caught off guard. "Pikachu!" She squeaked quickly.

"_Pikachuu _distracts you?" Satoshi asked, looking at her oddly.

"Yes - I mean, no." She sighed and turned back to him. "Actually, I think you do."

"Me?" Satoshi said dumbly.

"Yes." Hikari confirmed shyly.

"Why?"

"Well…I want to do a good job to prove to you that -" She hesitated. What was she trying to prove, exactly? She didn't know herself. "To prove that I-I'm special too, just like Kasumi, the gym leader, and Haruka, the amazing Coordinator."

Satoshi just stared at her for a few seconds. Then he pulled the unsuspecting preadolescent girl into a hug. Hikari blushed furiously; thankful that Satoshi wasn't looking at her face.

"You're so weird sometimes, Hikari," Satoshi laughed as Hikari nervously placed her arms around his neck. "Of course you're special to me! Just as special as Kasumi and Haruka."

As if it were possible, Hikari blushed more.

"R-really?" She said disbelievingly.

"Of course!" Hikari bit her lip again, this time from embarrassment.

"Thanks." She said softly. Satoshi smiled at her. Then he yawned.

"Well, I'm feelin' pretty tired now. I guess I'll go to sleep." He walked back over the sliding glass doorway to the room. "You coming?"

"I'll be right there." Hikari said distantly, now staring out at the busy city that didn't seem quite so intimidating to her anymore. Satoshi said something in reply but she didn't hear him. The sign nearest to her, previously unlit, flickered to life with a flash of pink.

Somehow, she decided, everything would be alright.

---

**Author's Notes - Remember, there will be a second part!**


	2. Part II

Distraction

**Disclaimer - Do _you _think I own it?**

**Summary - Hikari searches for the cause of her recent Contest failures, with some help from Satoshi. [ Pearlshipping, Twoshot. COMPLETE **

**Author's Notes -**

**Well…dang. It took me a while to update, didn't it? O.o I took a break from fanfic writing… But…here it is! The second part! **

**Thanks for the reviews/faves too, guys sparkles And thank you to xoxo.blanca, she helped me tons with this chapter! (even after that Carlton remark, you rock girl! ) And I'm glad everyone is liking the Pearlshipping! Now you guys all have to write a Pearlshipping fanfic (those who haven't already) to spread the love! XD**

**This is more blatant Pearlshipping bytheway :D **

**---**

Five Months Later

---

"Nozomi! Can I have your autograph?"

"Nozomi, would you mind sharing some of your training methods?"

"Where'd you get your Nyaruma? It's so cute!"

"Everyone, everyone, please." Nozomi said nervously, backing away from the large crowd of people in her face. "One at a time!" But nobody listened to her, everyone wanted a chance to talk to the winner of the Shinou Grand Festival.

Hikari observed the scene from afar, Satoshi and Takeshi standing behind her.

"I guess there's a price to pay for fame." Hikari commented, although she couldn't hide the hint of jealousy in her voice.

Satoshi placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"You'll get your turn Hikari. Third place is still incredible, this was your first Grand Festival too!"

"You must've inherited it from your mom." Takeshi commented.

"Aww, guys," Hikari laughed, turning to face them. "You both are too sweet! You know I couldn't have gotten so far without you both cheering me on."

She embraced them both in turn, and Takeshi noted that she lingered in Satoshi's embrace longer. Satoshi must have noticed too, because he became a bit flustered.

Hikari finally realized how uncomfortable he was and blushed.

"C'mon, guys," she spoke up, interrupting the tense silence. "Let's go out for ice cream! To celebrate my almost-victory."

Satoshi perked up instantly at the thought of food.

"You don't think we should try and rescue Nozomi?" Takeshi asked, seeming reluctant to leave the pretty red-head stuck with a mob of crazy fans and reporters.

"That's part of the Grand Festival-Champion package," Satoshi insisted. "Now c'mon, I don't want to wait any longer than I have to for that ice cream!"

---

Later that day, after Hikari's almost-victory celebrations were completed, the group had hit the road for an hour or so before setting up camp.

Darkness soon cloaked the forest clearing that the trio was in, and Hikari took this as her cue to sit down in front of the campfire next to Satoshi while Takeshi fixed dinner.

After traveling with the two boys for a while Hikari felt extremely comfortable around them, and this was their usual routine each evening.

She rested her chin in her palms as she stared into the glowing campfire, the flames reaching up towards the dark sky. It was shrouded in smoke and only a sprinkling of stars were visible.

The sight jogged her memory, and briefly she remembered that time she and Satoshi were talking out on the balcony…

_It was a pretty long time ago,_ Hikari thought wistfully. _I was so eager to impress him - and back then it was just about friendship. Five months ago, I would've been telling myself I would be crazy to feel this way about him…_

Here she blushed slightly as she glanced at Satoshi out of the corner of her eye. He was sitting next to her on the log, polishing his badge case.

Her gaze flicked to Takeshi, who was completely absorbed in preparing dinner. It was stew, as always. But he seemed to be putting extra effort into it. _Probably on account of me_, Hikari realized. _Takeshi is so nice to me…he's like the big brother I never had. _

She sighed softly, smiling a bit as she redirected her eyes to Satoshi once more. His badge case was polished to perfection, and he was grinning widely (most likely examining his teeth) at his reflection.

He didn't notice Hikari watching him in amusement and looked up at Takeshi impatiently.

"I'm starving!" He complained. "When is dinner going to be ready?"

Takeshi shook his head.

"Grow up, Satoshi. You're almost fifteen. Dinner's going to be ready in a minute, I'm making Hikari's favorite." He grinned at Hikari and she grinned back appreciatively. Satoshi, a bit miffed, went back to admiring his badges.

After a few minutes the delicious smell of the stew wafted over the campsite, and Satoshi groaned with anticipation. Hikari could've drooled, she had eaten very little all day and she, too, was ravenous; although too polite to admit it.

Finally dinner was served, and Takeshi sat down across from the pair as they ate in silence. Satoshi was messy, and Hikari pulled a face as he continued to slurp the stew down.

But the atmostphere was cozy nonetheless, here with her friends.

"This is nice," Hikari remarked happily.

Satoshi barely nodded. "Yeah, this is delicious!"

"That's not what I meant," Hikari laughed sternly. "But it really is Takeshi, thank you."

Takeshi waved a hand at her dismissively. "No problem."

After a while they finished eating (guess who finished first) and Hikari graciously offered to do the dishes.

Takeshi was feeling tired and took her up on her offer, stating that he was going to turn in for the nice. After mumbling a sleepy "Night, guys," to his friends, he disappeared into his tent.

This left Satoshi and Hikari, Satoshi sprawled out on top of his sleeping bag. Hikari noticed that he hadn't set a tent up.

"Sleeping under the stars tonight?" She inquired, scrubbing a bowl with a soapy rag.

"Yep. You know me," He replied, staring up at the sky. A breeze had blown in from the north, blowing the smoke away from them so the brilliant stars were visible.

After a while of unawkward silence, Hikari finished her task and walked over to Satoshi, lying down next to him.

They observed the stars in silence for a while, until Satoshi spoke up; causing Hikari to flinch in surprise.

"I was proud of you today," He commented, still staring up at the sky.

"Satoshi!" She groaned laughingly. "You're embarrassing me."

"But I mean it!" He laughed. "Remember our talk a while ago?"

_How could I not?_ Hikari thought. She was silent, so Satoshi continued.

"You were so insecure. But today you really showed everyone that you have your mom's touch."

Satoshi obviously didn't realize just how kind his words were, because he acted so casually. Hikari, on the other hand, was blushing up a storm.

"Yeah, well, beginner's luck." She said humbly, although she was squealing with happiness on the inside. Finally Satoshi turned to look at her.

"You're too modest," He replied, grinning devilishly. Hikari glanced at him.

"What are you smiling about?"

"This," Spontaneously, he reached over and began to tickle her mercilessly.

"Aah!" Hikari squealed, trying in vain to escape him. "S-Satoshi! Stop it!" She cried inbetween giggles.

"Not until you repeat after me : I did good today!"

Hikari was laughing to hard to speak, almost in tears. "I…did…goodtoday!" She blurted, and Satoshi stopped tickling her, satisfied. He looked back up at the sky.

Hikari poked his arm. "Weirdo." She stated teasingly.

"Hey, don't make me tickle you again." He threatened. Giggling, Hikari pretended to shrink back in fear. _Satoshi…you're so adorable sometimes, and you don't even know it…!_

They were silent for a while again, and this time it was Hikari who spoke.

"Satoshi?" She began hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you," She said quietly.

"For what?"

"For being there! You and Takeshi, I mean." She added quickly. _I almost forgot about Takeshi! Ah! _She thought ashamedly.

"Don't sweat it. We're buddies, right?"

"…Yeah." Her heart sank as she replied. _Just buddies. _

Satoshi quirked an eyebrow at her tone before yawning heavily.

"I'm exhausted, Hikari."

Hikari exhaled sadly, picking up on his cue. "Yeah…I should be getting to sleep."

She sat up, stretching a bit. "Goodnight, Satoshi."

"Night," He murmured, and Hikari suppressed a sigh. He actually looked contemplative in the moonlight - it was a change to see him so serious.

Satoshi must've sensed her eyes on him, because he looked at her. "What?" He asked a bit self-consciously.

He looked so cute, and Hikari couldn't help herself. Before she thought twice she leaned down and brushed her lips against his cheek fleetingly.

"Thanks again," She whispered with a smile, before awkwardly retreating into her tent.

Frozen in place, Satoshi gingerly brought a hand to his cheek where Hikari had kissed before he smiled ever so slightly.

"You're welcome, Hikari," He whispered.

---

**Author's Notes - UGH I totally screwed up the ending! ;; I'm sorry, I just really wanted to get it done because I honestly made you guys wait to long. **

**What a rip-off, right? It was so OOC arrgh…I'm really sorry. I'll try to get around to revising it later. **

**I'm thinking about making a sequel, Pearlshipping has really grown on me after writing this. J I have to admit it's quite adorable. :3**

**Some parts might've been confusing, in case you couldn't tell Nozomi won the Grand Festival. XD And obviously Hikari was very close, third place woo! Lol. **

**I know that was like totally unreasonable for her first ever Festival - just bear with me and pretend that she inherited her mom's skillz. XD**

…**Oh crap I just realized I forgot about Pikachu. Sorry xD**

**Please review, I adore feedback dahlings ;D**


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